Individual Notes for 2010

No. 1: Mark Ingram of Alabama will finally lead the SEC in rushing average per game.

No. 2: A.J. Green of Georgia will win the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the nation.

No. 3: D.J. Williams of Arkansas will be declared the best tight end in the SEC.

Anthony Dixon of Mississippi State led the SEC in rushing yards per game last season, averaging 126 to Mark Ingram's 118. Dixon has moved on to professional football.

Green is so good he may not come back for his senior season in Athens. He will have a less experienced quarterback who will depend upon Green to make "the big catch" throughout the game.

Ryan Mallett has to throw to someone when he goes to the hot read. With all the blitzing packages put in place for Bobby Petrino's Hogs in 2010, expect Williams to be a finalist for the John Mackey Award.

Unforgettable Moments in 2010

No. 1: When Joe Paterno steps on the field in Tuscaloosa to become the winningest major college coach to ever set foot on that field.

No. 2: When Derek Dooley takes his Tennessee Volunteers to Athens, Georgia for a game against the program his father led to the national championship in 1980.

No. 3: When first-year Kentucky coach Joker Phillips takes his Wildcats to Louisville to take on first-year coach Charlie Strong, a former SEC defensive coordinator at South Carolina and Florida.

There is so much history between Joe Paterno and Alabama that one has to believe this game will be closer than it looks on paper.

Young Dooley may not be able to handle the butterflies prior to kickoff when he goes home to Athens, but at least he can be thankful he does not have to face his father's greatest player, Herschel Walker (see picture).

The meeting of two African American coaches with such strong SEC roots speaks volumes about how far the conference and region have advanced since Bear Bryant was the Kentucky coach and Johnny Unitas was the quarterback at Louisville.

Gator Bowl Selection

2010 marks the return of the SEC to the Gator Bowl selection process. Prior to the permanent January 1 date put in place as of the 1995 season, the SEC was a frequent visitor to this Jacksonville Bowl.

Coaching Changes

No. 1: Following another under .500 performance in 2010, the controversial era of Dan Hawkins at Colorado will come to an end.

The administration in Boulder, recognizing they will be joining the Pac-10 in 2011, wishes to make a clear statement of intent to compete and win.

As a result, Colorado will reach out to a former assistant coach of the Buffaloes, Les Miles. Miles spent five seasons on staff at Colorado and will be embraced as a savior for the once proud program.

No. 2: If the above does take place and Miles goes to Colorado, where he will be appreciated and have an opportunity to get into the Rose Bowl, a huge opening in Baton Rouge will attract a number of viable candidates.

If UNC does not embarrass itself against LSU in this year's opener, look for Butch Davis to be the head coach at LSU in 2011. Be careful what you wish for, Tiger fans; Davis is 16-18 against major college competition during his time in Chapel Hill. Could be he is all hat and no cattle.

No. 3: If Mack Brown does not step down at Texas after this season, there will be tremendous pressure on the new Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity to bring Longhorn assistant “coach-in-waiting” Will Muschamp home to his alma mater.

In another case of look before you leap, current Georgia head coach Mark Richt has won 77 percent of his games in nine years in Athens. Legendary former Bulldog headman Vince Dooley won 72 percent of his games at Georgia.

What Is the Final Verdict?

No. 1: The SEC will be strong in 2010, strong enough to produce two legitimate BCS champions in Florida and Alabama.

No. 2: The overall strength of the conference will be measured by seven of the 12 teams finishing in the Top 25 rankings.

No. 3: This will not be the strongest year ever for the SEC.

While the SEC will produce two BCS title contenders, the problems at perennial power Tennessee and the slight backward swing at previous national champions LSU and Georgia will prevent the conference from separating itself at the top from the Big Ten and possibly the Big 12 in 2010.

The SEC will have more teams in bowl games than any other conference. The quality of the middle to lower middle teams is without equal in the nation.

One only has to look at the record book to see there have been other seasons with several SEC teams capable of winning the national title. In the 1971 season, three SEC teams were undefeated on the year going into the final two weeks of the season. In 1961 the SEC finished No. 1, 2, and 4 in a final regular season poll.

So while the SEC is powerful in 2010, it has been stronger at times in the past.